Vegan Meat Brands That Will Even Impress Meat-Eaters

Meat alternatives are everywhere. They're in high street restaurants, takeaways, stacked on supermarket shelves, and hold a special place in many of our fridges and freezers! Meat alternatives have become so popular that the global market is expected to hit $21 billion by 2025 - it's safe to say that the scene has grown exponentially in recent years.

Due to this rising demand, more money has been put into meat alternatives to improve them. It's not just vegans and vegetarians eating them now, meat-eaters want a taste, too! So it's in the best interest of the businesses to make their products taste as realistic and delicious as possible. 

Vegan menus were once composed of chips, salads, falafels and vegetable burgers, but now they're bursting with exciting options like hot wings, bacon, pulled pork, and more. But which products come out on top when it comes to impressing meat-eaters? 

The brand THIS are have created a product that’s so impressive, it’ll silence anyone bursting with the urge to say, “but bacon, though”. Their super realistic plant-based bacon is made from a mixture of soy protein and pea protein, and in the brand's own words is 'ridiculously high in protein. You'll be pleased to know that it's fortified with vitamin B12 and iron as well, so not only is this product delicious but you'll be getting some nutrients from it too. 

If you're looking for a chicken alternative, then Heura is here to save the day. This product has a chewy, meaty chicken-like texture and makes a good base for any classic chicken dish, from roast dinner to tacos. It’s also high in protein, iron and vitamin B12, and gluten-free. Try these tasty Skewers, or go for the more traditional option with this Wellington if you want to try Heura in all its glory!

Just about everyone has heard of the Beyond Meat Burger by now, and you can even find it in popular chain restaurants such as Byron and Honest Burger. It’s high in protein, soy-free and gluten-free, and has the most unbelievably meaty texture. Its texture and taste might even have you second-guessing whether it's real or not! 

The Vivera Plant Steak is slightly similar to the Beyond Meat Burger, just with a firmer texture which makes it more like a real steak. This product is high in protein and also a good source of Vitamin B12 and iron. Hopefully, we can expect to see some vegan steak restaurants opening up soon... In the meantime, however, check out this Vivera recipe so you can create the ultimate vegan steak dinner for family and friends!

There are now plentiful options for vegans when it comes around to Christmas, and this year we're expecting more goodies than ever! However, it will take something pretty impressive to beat the classic Tofurky Roast that so many vegans have been enjoying for years. This product is made from a blend of wheat and tofu and filled with flavourful wild rice and a bread crumb filling. It's even shaped ready to be carved as the centrepiece on the dinner table! 

If you’re looking for a meat alternative with minimal ingredients, then Oumph! Is the brand for you. The Chunk product is made up of water, soya protein and salt - you can’t get much simpler than that! Like tofu and tempeh, it’s the ideal blank canvas for you to flavour and cook how you want. A little tip: it tastes particularly good when fried in some oil with plenty of seasoning!

If you'd like to shave some time off of your cooking, then I'd recommend going for one of the Oumph! meat alternatives that are already seasoned, such as Oumph! Kebab Spiced. This versatile product can be made into kebabs (of course), skewers, or added on top of salads.